The Chronicles of Harris Burdick: Fourteen Amazing Authors Tell the Tales / With an Introduction by…

Product Details

An inspired collection of short stories by an all-star cast of best-selling storytellers based on the thought-provoking illustrations in Chris Van Allsburg'sThe Mysteries of Harris Burdick.

For more than twenty-five years, the illustrations in the extraordinaryMysteries of Harris Burdickby Chris Van Allsburg have intrigued and entertained readers of all ages. Thousands of children have been inspired to weave their own stories to go with these enigmatic pictures. Now we've asked some of our very best storytellers to spin the tales. EnterThe Chronicles of Harris Burdickto gather this incredible compendium of stories: mysterious, funny, creepy, poignant, these are tales you won't soon forget.

Van Allsburg's Harris Burdick illustrations have evoked such wonderment and imagination sinceHarris Burdick's original publication in 1984; many have speculated or have woven their own stories to go with his images. More than ever, the illustrations send off their eerie call for text and continue to compel and pick at the reader's brain for a backstory-a threaded tale behind the image. In this book, we've collected some of the best storytellers to spin them.

The following ISBNs are associated with this title:

ISBN - 10: 0547548109

ISBN - 13: 9780547548104

About the Book

An inspired collection of short stories by an all-star cast of bestselling storytellers based on the thought-provoking illustrations in Van Allsburg's "The Mysteries of Harris Burdick." Contributors include Sherman Alexie, M.T. Anderson, Kate DiCamillo, Cory Doctorow, and Stephen King. Illustrations.

Read from the Book

This book, then, is suspicious. The stories you find here may have been written, as so many Burdick stories have been written, as the guesswork of authors drawn to Mr. Burdick's striking images and captions. But I believe these are the actual stories written by Harris Burdick, given by Burdick to the various authors who are now pretending to have written them. I have no proof of this theory, but when I questioned the authors involved their answers did nothing to change my mind. . . . Perhaps it doesnât matter. Perhaps these stories were written by Harris Burdick and perhaps they were not. Either way, the mysteries of Harris Burdick continue, and if you open this book, you will likely be mystified yourself. As you reread the stories, stare at the images, and ponder the mysteries of Harris Burdick, you will find yourself in a mystery that joins so many authors and readers together in breathless wonder.

From the Publisher

An inspired collection of short stories by an all-star cast of best-selling storytellers based on the thought-provoking illustrations in Chris Van Allsburg'sThe Mysteries of Harris Burdick.

For more than twenty-five years, the illustrations in the extraordinaryMysteries of Harris Burdickby Chris Van Allsburg have intrigued and entertained readers of all ages. Thousands of children have been inspired to weave their own stories to go with these enigmatic pictures. Now we've asked some of our very best storytellers to spin the tales. EnterThe Chronicles of Harris Burdickto gather this incredible compendium of stories: mysterious, funny, creepy, poignant, these are tales you won't soon forget.

Van Allsburg's Harris Burdick illustrations have evoked such wonderment and imagination sinceHarris Burdick's original publication in 1984; many have speculated or have woven their own stories to go with his images. More than ever, the illustrations send off their eerie call for text and continue to compel and pick at the reader's brain for a backstory-a threaded tale behind the image. In this book, we've collected some of the best storytellers to spin them.

About the Author

Chris Van Allsburg is the winner of two Caldecott Medals, for Jumanji and The Polar Express, as well as the recipient of a Caldecott Honor Book for The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. The author and illustrator of numerous picture books for children, he has also been awarded the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement in children's literature. In 1982, Jumanji was nominated for a National Book Award and in 1996, it was made into a popular feature film. Chris Van Allsburg was formerly an instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design. He lives in Rhode Island with his wife and two children.

Editorial Reviews

"Engaging, with strokes of brilliance"-Kirkus

"This star-studded exercise in creative writing tests the wits of favorite authors and shows readers how even the big shots hone their craft."-Publishers Weekly, starred review

"The stories embrace a range of styles and subjects, but, like their enigmatic and mysterious inspirations, each touches on the strange, the odd, and the fantastic."-The Horn Book Magazine

"While the stories are distinct-by turns funny, sinister, and touching-they have much in common, sharing an arch tone, a curious metaphysicality, and some familiar folk-tale tropes, and the authors' commitment to the original conceit gives the volume additional cohesion."-Booklist